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The GoodThe DJI Inspire 1 is a well-built, ready-to-fly quadcopter that captures excellent 4K-resolution video. Its camera is removable, giving it the potential for upgrades and is also compatible with a handheld mount. Option for two-controller operation with one for piloting and the other for camera control. Supports DJI's Intelligent Flight options including autonomous waypoint navigation or Follow Me.

The BadThe battery life will seem all too brief and additional batteries are pricey. To get the most from the Inspire 1, you'll want to buy it with two controllers, which drives the price up to $3,399, £2,747 or AU$5,279. Android support is limited.

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There are quadcopters with cameras out there that could be considered nothing more than toys. The DJI Inspire 1 is no toy.

Larger and, frankly, more menacing-looking than the company's chunky little Phantom 3 drones, the Inspire 1 was made for professionals, but is as ready to fly and easy to pilot as the Phantom models. However, at $2,900 in the US, £2,380 in the UK and AU$4,130 in Australia, its price is more than twice the top-of-the-line Phantom 3 Professional.

Considering the Phantom 3 Professional and Inspire 1 have the same camera specs and features -- both capture video at resolutions up to 4K (4,096x2,160 pixels) at 30fps and 1,080p at 60fps and 12-megapixel stills -- it's fair to ask where the extra money is going.

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For starters, while the cameras may perform the same, the Phantom 3's can't be easily repaired or upgraded. The Inspire 1's camera and gimbal, on the other hand, can be removed by releasing a lock and twisting it off. This not only makes it safer for travel, but future upgrades are possible for better or different cameras. Plus, DJI developed a mount to use the camera and gimbal as a handheld camera.

The gimbal can also rotate the camera 360 degrees and tilt it 125 degrees, so instead of having to move the quadcopter around to get the shot you want, you can just move the camera. The gimbal itself is more substantial and designed for a higher level of stability and longevity than the Phantom's, which can be said for the rest of the quadcopter, too.

From the carbon-fiber landing gear that lifts and lowers automatically on take-off and landing to its specially designed brushless motors that are powerful while being more efficient, the Inspire 1 is built for high performance. And the performance is noticeably swifter and smoother than the Phantom 3, which is excellent in its own right. The Inspire 1 handled high winds with ease and the larger body makes it easier to spot in the sky. It also looks pretty badass and I almost expected it to have lasers. (Note to DJI: Add lasers.)

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Sitting to the back of the gimbal is DJI's Vision Positioning System, a set of sensors to help the Inspire 1 hover while indoors when GPS isn't available. There are many caveats for it to work properly, however, such as not flying over sound-absorbing materials, water or highly reflective surfaces. Also, according to DJI's site, it's only effective up to about 16 feet (5 meters). That's higher than the Phantom 3's 10-foot (3-meter) range, but still, if you're thinking of getting the Inspire 1 to fly above crowds in an arena or auditorium, you better up your piloting skills first.

When you're outside, GPS is used to help the drone determine its position and yours and is what makes it possible for the drone to stop and hover in place when you release the controller's sticks as well as delivering accurate location data for safety features like automatically returning to a home position. The more satellites it can lock onto, the better off you are, so DJI added the Russian navigational system, GLONASS, which lets it tap into more satellites than GPS alone.

Satellite acquisition speeds are noticeably faster compared to the older Phantom 2 Vision+, so you can lock on and start flying more quickly. Also, with the Vision+ there were times I would struggle to get a solid lock on six satellites (the minimum for GPS-assisted flight). The Advanced never had a problem grabbing onto 10 satellites or more in a matter of seconds and regularly had upward of 15 in my testing. This makes a huge difference when it comes to putting the drone in the exact position you want for photos and video.

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The controller and DJI Go mobile app (formerly called Pilot) are important, too, of course. The Inspire 1 and its controller have DJI's Lightbridge technology for better video transmission between the sky and ground at distances up to 1.2 miles away (2 kilometers). Lightbridge allows for a continuous connection back and forth between the two and increases flight range over the wireless range extender used for the Phantom 2 and the entry-level Phantom 3 Standard. This does mean you'll need your iOS or Android device's charging cable to use it, but the performance improvement is well worth it.

On each of the top corners you'll find discrete camera controls for starting and stopping recordings, taking pictures, reviewing your shots and two wheels, one for adjusting exposure compensation, ISO and shutter speed and the other for the gimbal's tilt. Two customizable buttons are on the bottom as well that can be used for a handful of camera or gimbal functions, including switching the wheel for adjusting camera tilt to have it adjust camera rotation instead.

DJI also included a Return-to-Home button for those times when panic starts to set in and you just want to bring it on back. (A switch around this button controls the landing gear.) The controller's battery is built in and will last through several flights before you'll need to recharge it. DJI simplified charging, too, using one power supply with two cables attached: one for the controller's battery and one for the drone's.

With the Inspire 1's controller, you also get a Mini-HDMI output for connecting to an external display. But, more importantly, you have the option to add a second controller, which allows one person to pilot (Master) while the other controls the camera (Slave) and both people have a live view from the drone's camera.

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Connecting your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet is as simple as plugging in your device's charging cable into the USB port on the Inspire 1's controller. (It'll keep your device charged while you use it for flying, too.) Then, with the controller and drone turned on, you just open the DJI Go app and tap to get the camera view.

The controller's device mount can handle phones and tablets big and small, however the app is optimized for use with the iPhone 5S , 6 and 6 Plus. Android device support is thin, with just the Samsung Galaxy Tab 705c, Samsung Galaxy S6, S5, Note 4 and Note 3, Google Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 (second-gen), Ascend Mate7, Nubia Z7 mini, Sony Z3 Experia and Xiaomi MI 3 and MI Pad listed. DJI does continue to add support, though. I tested with both a 6 Plus and a Galaxy S5, and the app performance was clearly stronger on the iOS device than with the S5, which locked up a couple times forcing me midflight to restart the app.